Dendrobium moniliforme (3 different cultivars)

[kavanaru]

These three little guys have got each a new pot, where I think the own character of each cultivar is enhanced. I know that most japanese cultivars of Dendrobium moniliforme are grown mainly as foliage plants, and I wonder if it is because they are so difficult to bloom or the other way around... just kidding, I speak only from my own experience: I have not managed yet to see any bloom from these guys...

Chouseiran Hakuturu on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Chouseiran Mangetsu on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Chouseiran Mangetsu on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Chouseiran Turuhime on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Chouseiran Turuhime on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

P.S.- Yes, the pots are from Erin Bonsai Online

[Ranchnanny]

Ramon love your Dens and the pots they are so cute.

Sheridan

[Ross]

Originally Posted by kavanaru

and I wonder if it is because they are so difficult to bloom

I have not found this to be true with mine. I have Matsushima in bloom now and Hakuunryu just finished blooming a month ago or so. I would never grow mine for foliage alone as they tend toward deciduous and always seem to be dropping another leaf as they grow new stalks. Nice pots by the way. Mine are in slotted plastic pots in my tank.

[camille1585]

Those pots are absolutely perfect for them! Especially Hakuturu, it looks like the pot was made for it. I really should get an Erin pot for my Den monoliforme too. I just haven't seen THE perfect one yet. It's stuck in an ugly black plastic pot. I hope mine blooms, but have no clue when their bloom season this. I'll just have to keep an eye out for buds!
I really love your background for the pics. What do you use?

EDIT: Just went to look at my little Matsushima, and one of the canes has the beginnings of a nubbin at the top!

[kavanaru]

Originally Posted by Ross

I have not found this to be true with mine. I have Matsushima in bloom now and Hakuunryu just finished blooming a month ago or so. I would never grow mine for foliage alone as they tend toward deciduous and always seem to be dropping another leaf as they grow new stalks. Nice pots by the way. Mine are in slotted plastic pots in my tank.

Ross, I know your plants bloom all the time... however, my plants decided they are not blooming here

As per growing them as foliage plants... this is what japanese have done since centuries... a different approach for orchids collection and different sense of esthetic, and also applicable to Neofinetia and Cymbidium...

[kavanaru]

Originally Posted by camille1585

I really love your background for the pics. What do you use?

Just a piece of black paper... not the best background I have used, but was just playing around with my camera... wanted to try my new Flash, but did not manage to have it activated when not installed on the camera... (think I need to read the manual carefully... )

[Becca]

Ramon I love the pots and the den's! They are soo cute! Ross just has a super green thumb or something with getting his to bloom. I have one I bought off of ebay before I realized there were different variations....so mine is a NOID variation. I am going on my second year with it....last year it put out little nubs like it was going to bloom but then they dried up and didn't do anything after that. I have a nice new growth taller the the others and another one starting. Still no blooms for me. I have been giving it high light and it came planted in a clay pot with round holes on the side and fine bark as the potting medium. Wish I new what to do to get mine to bloom! I think I may keep mine on the dry side so perhaps that is my problem. I see you are using a moss mixture....do you let it dry out in between watering? Do others pot these as they would with the traditional Japanese method for Neo's?

[kavanaru]

Becca, I used to have one of them growing in pure moss (Neo Technique) but soon realized that the two other plants (one growing in pure moss, but everything in a pot, and one growing in a mixture) were happier... so I decided to change them all to a mixture. I water them until very wet, and let them dry out completely before watering again.

As per flowering... at least yours pt some buds my plants not even do that... I grow them with lots of light... one of them of them has spent a cool winter, but no flowers... the two others intermediate winter, also no blooms...

[Becca]

Ramon....let's sneak ours into Ross's collection and let him bloom them and then sneak them back out when in bloom

[Ross]

Originally Posted by Becca

last year it put out little nubs like it was going to bloom but then they dried up and didn't do anything after that.

Becca, those "nubs" are vegetative growths (ie. under the correct conditions will send out roots and become new plants, keikis.) My Matsushima is covered with them and even some of the older dried-up ones are turning green again and sending out roots. I'm not a keiki person, so I am offended by this tendency. It's only common on certain cultivars. moniliforme Dendros bloom out of the tops of the stalks. Sometimes more that once (ie even an older bare cane might send up a flower). The "spikes" produce one flower each. So if you see one advancing, it will be one flower. If you see three little buds, then 3 flowers. Something like this

This little guy bloomed in August, then a second cane had one blossom later (like closer to Holidays.) I have found so far with this cultivar (I could be wrong here ) that once a cane blooms, that's it. The little Hakuunryu tends to keep it's leaves longer and is nicer as a foliage plant than some others.

I plan to buy other extreme minis like Hakuunryu later this spring. I got mine from New World and they show others in the 2-3" height range. I bought for leaf coloring, but found the color changed over time to more green/white and less reds.